Advancing Knowledge, Improving Practice: NIAAA Research Priorities and Funding Opportunities.

NIAAA Research Priorities and Funding Opportunities T National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary Federal entity responsible for research on the causes, consequences, treatment, and prevention of alcohol­ related problems. NIAAA conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral research into the effects of alcohol on the human mind and body, prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and epidemiology of alcoholism and alcohol­related problems. Research results are presented at conferences and featured in a wide range of publications, including scientific journals, brochures specifically written for a lay audience, and NIAAA’s World­Wide Web site. To ensure rapid dissemination of alco­ hol research findings, NIAAA produces the Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Science Database (ETOH), a bibliographic database of more than 90,000 records of alcohol research findings. NIAAA also maintains the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System, which acquires, analyzes, and provides epidemi­ ological statistics on alcohol­related subjects, and the comput­ er bulletin board “Quick Facts,” an online alcohol statistics database. NIAAA’s publications include a quarterly, peer­ reviewed journal, Alcohol Health & Research World; reports and monographs, such as the triennial Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health; and the quarterly Alcohol Alert bulletin for clinicians and other health profes­ s i o n a l s . To f u r t h e r p r o m o t e d i s s e m i n a t i o n o f o n g o i n g research, NIAAA convenes several conferences and work­ shops each year.


Twentyfive Years of Research Progress
During NIAAA's 25year history, researchers have made much progress in understanding the causes, consequences, p rev ent i o n , a n d tre at me n t o f a lc o hol re la t ed pr o bl em s.Highlights of this progress are described below.

What is alcoholism and what accounts for it?
The key question in alcoholism research is, Why do some people exhibit a pathological appetite for alcohol?NIAAA has dedi cated a large portion of its research to answering this question.Studies using experimental animals have shown that the actions of alcohol that cause intoxication, reinforce drinking behavior, and lead to addiction are based principally in the brain.Imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and electro physiological studies, are helping scientists understand alco hol's effects on the brain.By combining newly emerging computeraided modeling with stateoftheart imaging tech niques, researchers are developing a better understanding of addictive behavior.Such information will help clinicians iden tify people at risk for developing alcoholism.
Why are some people more vulnerable to alcohol's effects?A benchmark in the history of alcoholism research was the demonstration that for many people, susceptibility to alco holism is inherited.NIAAA has supported studies of the genetics of alcoholism using a range of techniques, from population based studies to the latest methods of molecular analysis.For example, adoption and twin studies provided the first evi dence of a genetic component in the risk for alcoholism.Because genetics alone does not account for the development of alcoholism, researchers also have investigated environmen tal factors that may put people at risk for alcohol problems.For example, alcohol research has shown that expectancies, particularly beliefs about the positive effects of alcohol, can predict drinking behavior.Researchers currently are focusing on unraveling the genetic factors involved in the transmission of alcoholism from one generation to the next as well as determining the manner and extent to which genetic and envi ronmental factors interact in the development of alcoholism.
How does alcohol damage the body?Research in the past 25 years also has generated an increasing awareness of the medical consequences of alcohol and the mechanisms by which they occur.Some of these consequences are alcoholic cir rhosis; cancer; immune defects; and fetal alcohol syndrome and other alcoholrelated birth defects.Other consequences of alcohol use include problems with perception, judgment, mus cle coordination, memory, and learning, all of which can lead to alcoholrelated trauma, including accidents, traffic crashes, and interpersonal violence.Understanding the mechanisms of alcohol's effects strengthens efforts to decrease alcoholrelated consequences.For example, scientists in the alcohol field were responsible for identifying alcohol as a teratogen (i.e., a cause of birth defects).This research led to the 1981 issuance of the first Surgeon General's Advisory on the Use of Alcohol During Pregnancy.

Intramural Research
Scientists in the IRP focus on research opportunities that allow intensive, longterm commitment as well as the flex ibility to adjust research priorities in response to new find ings.Because clinical and laboratory studies occur side by side, new findings from basic research may be transferred readily for appropriate testing and application, and clinical hypotheses may, in turn, be posited to lab scientists.
Major IRP areas of study include the following: identi fication and assessment of genetic and environmental risk factors for the development of alcoholism; the effects of alcohol on the central nervous system, including how alcohol modifies brain activity and behavior; metabolic and biochemical effects of alcohol on various organs and systems of the body; noninvasive imaging of the brain's s t r u c t u r e a n d a c t i v i t y a s i t r e l a t e s t o a l c o h o l u s e ; development of animal models of alcoholism; the diagno sis, prevention, and treatment of alcoholism and associat ed disorders; and alcohol's effects on a cellular level, including research on the proteins that compose mem brane receptors and ion channels.Other studies on the expression of genes coding for these important proteins are yielding intriguing insights into the basic mechanisms of alcohol's action.When combined with studies on regionspecific effects of alcohol on the release of chemi cal messengers in the brain (i.e., neurotransmitters), these investigations will shed light on how alcohol produces r e w a r d , d e p e n d e n c e , t o l e r a n c e , a n d b r a i n d a m a g e .Behavioral studies that primarily use mice, rats, and mon keys, combined with molecular genetics and behavioral manipulations during development, examine important protective and risk factors for alcohol abuse and dependence. The NIAAA is one of 17 research institutes that together create the NIH.To fulfill its research mission, NIAAA supports both in tramural (inhouse) and extramural research (support for sci entists at universities and other institutions throughout the United States).NIAAA's greatest emphasis is on extramural studies, with approximately 88 percent of the research budget available to extramural researchers.The Office of the Director and three NIAAA staff offices manage and coordinate activi ties related to extramural science policy and scientific com munication; legislation and public policy; collaborative research and international programs; and budget, planning, management, and administration.Research activities are con ducted by the Institute's three extramural research divisions and by the NIAAA Intramural Research Program (IRP) located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.

Office of Policy Analysis monitors
• The Office of the Director initiates and guides the devel opment of Institute policies and programs; coordinates com m u n i c a t i on b e t w e e n N I A A A a n d o t h e r N I H I n st i t u t e s , Federal agencies, and the public and professional communi ties; and manages the Institute's Equal Employment Oppor tunity programs.Additionally, the Office of Collaborative Research Activities within the Office of the Director initiates a n d c o n d u c t s c o l l a b o r a t i v e a c t i v i t i e s w i t h o t h e r N I H Institutes, government agencies, and other organizations interested in alcoholrelated problems and coordinates and administers the Institute's international activities and science education programs.•The are not limited to, coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke, osteoporosis, breast cancer, interac tion with various medications, risk/benefit analyses, and psychosocial issues.•Neuroscience and behavior.Studies of how alcohol's effects on the central nervous system contribute to the development of intoxication, tolerance, and dependence.
• The Division of Basic Research supports extramural studies in such areas as neuroscience, genetics, and molecular biology to increase understanding of the mechanisms that underlie alcohol addiction and alcoholrelated tissue injury.(continued on page 4 ) • Moderate alcohol consumption.Molecular, cellular, epidemiological, clinical, and psychosocial studies on the benefits and risks of moderate drinking.These areas include, but

Division of Clinical and Prevention Research, another
IRP offers training opportunities, including clinical and laboratory programs oriented specifically to physi cians; postdoctoral fellowships; and fellowships for stu dents of medicine, social work, psychology, and other health professions.NIAAA encourages future scientists by providing training opportunities for high school, college, and graduate students.The Division also oversees the National Alcohol Research Centers Program, which supports multidisciplinary research around central themes, such as "alcohol and immunology."• The extramural research division, supports studies aimed at devel oping practical and effective models of treating and preventing alcoholrelated problems.Research activities include the development of new medications, preventive interventions designed for specific populations, and treatment protocols that match patients with appropriate treatment elements.• The Division of Biometry and Epidemiology supports both extramural and intramural research activities designed to discover the etiology, incidence, and prevalence of alcohol related problems.• The

Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research
administers the Institute's IRP.The division's components include four laboratories (molecular and cellular neurobiology, neurogenetics, membrane biochemistry and biophysics, and clinical studies) and a 10bed alcoholism clinical unit at the NIH Clinical Center.